This year has marked the 60th anniversary of CE L’Hospitalet, as shown on the membership cards for the 2017-2018 season, and we’re hoping that the Hospitalet Municipal Football Stadium will again play host to unforgettable days, full of victories and great games.

The date in everyone’s mind is 7 July 1957, when the city’s three football clubs, UD Hospitalet, CD Santa Eulàlia and CF Hercules Hospitalet were merged to form Centre Esportiu L’Hospitalet.

Club chairman Santi Ballesté recalls that in the 1960s “Hospitalet had an outstanding track record and was highly regarded in Catalan and Spanish football, achieving such important milestones as three years in Second Division ‘A’, champion of Second Division ‘B’ or four promotion play-offs for the Spanish Second Division“.

On this 60th anniversary, Ballesté is also looking towards the future, which he hopes will be seen in a different way, especially after the slight blip of last year.

The challenges set by the chairman and his board of directors are mainly aimed at forming a good team for the season ahead. He added that “our technicians and sporting director are working hard to pull this off, and I’d like to thank them for the efforts they’re making to create an exciting team that can fight for promotion“.

Grassroots football and women’s football should also be a mainstay of the club in the next few years. “We need to get as high up in the table as possible, nurturing the first team with players from our youth academy“. As far as women’s football is concerned, “this year we’ve already started out with a very ambitious project for this section“.

When it comes to the club’s following, Ballesté acknowledged that there are a few more difficulties. The chairman explained that “we want to expand our fanbase and – in particular – open up the club to the city and other sports clubs in Hospitalet, which is a very important aspect“.

Santi Ballesté reminded everyone that “CE L’Hospitalet has always been the most important sports club in the city. This is imperative, especially when you look at the words to our anthem: by playing football, we made a city from a town“.

If you still haven’t been able to pick up your membership card for the 2017-18 season, which since August has been proudly displaying the commemorative logo of the club’s 60th anniversary, you can get it at our management offices or at the ticket offices of the Hospitalet Municipal Football Stadium on match days.